Douglas S. S. Steuart

Douglas Stuart Spens Steuart (20 April 1872 – 15 July 1949) was a British mining engineer, author and animal welfare worker.

Career

Steuart worked as a mining engineer in South Africa in 1898 and 1899. He was a member of the Geological Society of South Africa and the Chemical and Metallurgical Society of South Africa. He resided in Pretoria. In 1899, he authored "The mineral wealth of Zoutpansberg: the Murchison range gold-belt" in the Transactions of the Institution of Mining Engineers. In 1913, he authored The Metalliferous Deposits Of Cornwall And Devon.

He married Mary Rutland. His son, David Steuart was artistic director of Perth Theatre.

Animal welfare

Steuart became known as the "wolf man" as he was known to have tamed savage wolves and made friends with the wolves at London Zoo. He became friends with Lassie, Kazan and Orloff who liked to "nuzzle close to him, laying their noses on his knees". Lassie, the mother of the wolves became ill after her arrival at the zoo. Steuart sat with Lassie for several days and nights and nursed her back to health in her sanatorium cage. In total, Steuart counted 69 wolves as his pets throughout his life. He was on the executive council of the Animal Defence and Anti-Vivisection Society.

Death

Steuart lived with his wife in Perth for the last eight years of his life.

Selected publications

The Metalliferous Deposits Of Cornwall And Devon (1913) A Wolf-Cub's Tale (1947) The Wolf-Man's Story (1947) The World Of Tomorrow, And Other Anti-War Poems (1948) The Warning Vision (1949)